Now at 6-feet-0 and 160 pounds, Restic said he feels more comfortable in the role and confident he can be a team leader.

“This camp is a lot more relaxed for me knowing I’m the guy,” Restic said last week. “That gives me some comfort level so I can focus on other things, like my timing with my receivers, my handoffs, my play fakes.”

Developing chemistry with his top receivers will be a necessity if Jesuit, as run-first a team as it gets, hopes to return to the championship game.

Trent Werner, Jesuit’s top receiver last season (50 catches, 814 yards, 13 touchdowns), has graduated and Matthew Ferguson is the only returning wideout on the roster who caught a pass last season. Even with battle-tested running back Chase Morrison continuing to carry the bulk of the load, Restic and his receivers will need to be on the same page to serve as a viable second offensive option.

Restic and his slew of new options will be put to the test immediately with back-to-back non-conference games against Central Catholic and Sheldon (each of the last two 6A state champions) to start the season.

The first contest is a rematch last year’s title game, where Restic completed just 5 of 16 passes for 83 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. He has watched video of the game on multiple occasions, agonizing over what he could have done to bring the Crusaders back from a deficit to Central Catholic in the fourth quarter.

“It’s something that’s helped me grow this offseason,” Restic said. “The mistakes I made in the state championship, those don’t haunt me as much. It’s not really that bad. It’s just the plays I failed to make late in the game.”

Jesuit’s showdown with Central Catholic is at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5 at Hillsboro Stadium.

Watch the video above to hear Restic talk about his progression and the chance at revenge in Jesuit’s season opener against the Rams. Also, you can read Jesuit’s full preseason preview here.